SACRAMENTO – A new poll finds Democrat Jerry Brown has an 8-point lead in the California governor’s race while the U.S. Senate race has tightened.

A Public Policy Institute of California survey released Wednesday found Brown leading Republican Meg Whitman 44 percent to 36 percent among likely voters.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer is leading GOP challenger Carly Fiorina 43 percent to 38 percent – an edge that has fallen since last month.

Proposition 19, which would legalize recreational marijuana use, has support from just 44 percent of likely voters, while a ballot initiative to suspend California’s global warming law has just 37 percent support.

The poll was conducted Oct. 10 to 17 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.